Many conventional liquid pumps are directly or indirectly coupled to a switch or similar device that detects a liquid level in order to activate the pump when needed. Activation can include providing a signal to the pump to start or stop operation, and/or providing or removing power to the pump to start or stop the pump from operating. Activation can also include, for example, triggering alarms at pre-determined liquid levels of high and/or low level events.
For many years, a common liquid level control switch consisted of a mercury switch embedded in a foam or plastic “float” housing. The fluctuating liquid level would cause the float to physically move, which would cause the mercury switch to close or open a circuit, depending on whether the mercury switch was normally open or normally closed. Mercury float switches were the industry standard due to their extreme reliability in harsh working environments. However, increasingly stringent regulations regarding products containing mercury have caused the industry to begin a shift toward alternative solutions for the mercury float switch. Currently, the most common alternative is the mechanical float switch.
Although there are several design variations of mechanical float switches on the market, the general perception is that they lack the reliability of the mercury switch design due to a multitude of moving parts inside the float housing. The moving parts can degrade operation by becoming misaligned, damaged due to impact in shipping and/or operation, corrode and cease to operate, become damaged due to electrical arcing and/or chattering, as well as many other failure modes.
Floats with an embedded magnet have also been used to activate or deactivate a switch. Yet, in conventional configurations, the magnet is not adequately secured so as to avoid physical interaction with the float housing or other components of the switch. In addition, the float, with the integrated magnet, is typically positioned in the liquid to be sensed. This can lead to problems with residue buildup and/or floating debris, causing the interaction between the magnet and the switch to degrade and eventually fail.
There is a need, therefore, for a float switch that reduces or eliminates many moving parts that are capable of degrading operation of the float switch.
Some embodiments of the invention overcome these problems by providing a float switch that includes a movable permanent magnet and a hermetically sealed magnetic reed switch, which reduces the moving parts to only the movable permanent magnet and a contact within the reed switch. The permanent magnet and the magnetic reed switch are encased within a housing, and the housing can be filled with a filler material and sealed.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a float switch includes a float housing having an interior cavity and an exterior. A magnetically activated hermetically sealed reed switch is secured within the interior cavity of the float housing in a first orientation, and a permanent magnet is positioned in a second orientation. The permanent magnet is movable between a first activation position and a second non-activation position. The permanent magnet is positioned in and movable within a chamber, the chamber being within the interior cavity of the float housing. The first activation position and the second non-activation position are located within the chamber. To create an electrical circuit, electrical conductors extend from the housing at one end and are electrically coupled to the reed switch.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
The float switch 20 operates by magnetically actuating the magnetic reed switch 24. The magnetic reed switch 24 can be activated by an axially or diametrically magnetized permanent magnet 22 having an appropriate shape (e.g., spherical or cylindrical rod or other appropriate shape) allowing the permanent magnet 22 to slide or roll (as indicated by arrows 28) within a sealed chamber 30 integrated into the interior of the float housing 26. The magnetic reed switch 24 is actuated by the permanent magnet 22 as the permanent magnet 22 approaches the magnetic reed switch 24.
The chamber 30, and the sliding or rolling permanent magnet 22, can be centrally located in the interior of the float housing 26 to allow the float switch 20 to operate in any orientation. The propensity and rate of the permanent magnet 22 to move and the angle of operation can be at least partially controlled or influenced by one or more of the following: a surface finish 32 in the chamber 30, a weight of the permanent magnet 22, a position of the chamber 30 within the float housing 26, and a fluid 34 (e.g., a lubricant or viscous fluid) contained in the chamber 30.
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Electrical conductors, such as power and/or control wires 44 and 46, can be encased in a cord 47 and extend in/out of the float housing 26 at one end 27. The wires 44 and 46 are electrically coupled to the magnetic reed switch 24 at the screws 40 and 42, respectively, to complete a circuit 36. In an alternative embodiment, the wires 44 and 46 can be welded (e.g., ultrasonically) to the ends 48 and 50 of the magnetic reed switch 24 to complete the circuit 36.
In some embodiments, the magnetic reed switch 24 can convey its condition (open or closed) using a low level voltage (e.g., 12 VDC) to a control panel 62 which, in turn, can operate a pump or other piece of equipment 64 at a higher voltage level. Alternatively, the magnetic reed switch 24 can convey its condition (open or closed) directly to the pump or other piece of equipment 64 at a higher voltage level (e.g., 120 VAC). In some embodiments, a locking device in the control panel (not shown) keeps the pump 64 operating until another float switch 20 can be actuated by the liquid level, which helps to eliminate switch damage and/or rapid pump or equipment cycling that could result from liquid surface turbulence.
In some embodiments, the cord 47 can include an over-molded plug or block 66 with a receptacle 67 on a side 68 for use as direct pump control, without using the control panel 62. Small horsepower pumps, such as sump pumps, generally do not include a control panel. If the voltage rated contactors are located away from the switch and in-line with the pump power cord, some embodiments of the float switch 20 can be used without modifying the existing small horsepower pump configuration and without modifying the float switch 20 to include voltage rated contacts.
In some embodiments, the float housing 26 can be a thermoplastic shell or another suitable durable material. For example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) can alternatively be used for the float housing 26. As shown in
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The chamber 30 can be constructed from the same material as the float housing 26, such as a plastic material, or the chamber 30 can be constructed of a metal tube, or a combination of both materials, for example. As shown in
In manufacturing, after coupling the wires 44 and 46 to the magnetic reed switch 24, and inserting the permanent magnet 22 into the chamber 30, some or all of a remaining hollow cavity 76 in the float housing 26 can be filled with a filler material 80, as shown in
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It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130327625 A1 | Dec 2013 | US |